The Empordà garden of 1,000 peppers that reclaims spiciness in Catalan cuisine

GironaHe spicy It's a condiment that enhances all flavors. A burning sensation in the mouth that provides punch and a kick in any dish. Chili peppers, cayenne peppers, Tabasco sauce, the jalapeños Mexican chili peppers or Japanese wasabi are some of the most typical ingredients for achieving that fiery touch in the kitchen. However, there are many more: thousands of varieties and combinations of pepper seeds offer an infinite range of nuances, gradations, and intensities, suitable for all tastes. In Parlavà (Baix Empordà), a small family business has dedicated itself to cultivating more than 1,000 plants of some fifty varieties of chili peppers and chili peppers from all over the world. They do it with the aim of spreading the world of spicy food everywhere and, at the same time, linking it with Catalan culture.

They are ¡Qué Pebrots!, a thriving gastronomic and agri-food project led by the three masterminds of Ferran Gispert, his father Emili, and their friend Ivan Garcia Puigderrajols. Every week they sell dozens of online orders of fresh peppers delivered to homes, and they also market their own products such as salts, oils, and sauces. In addition, they regularly organize guided tours. in situ So that families and customers can discover the Parlavà garden firsthand, tasting and picking the chilies they like best.

With all this offering, the three partners want to lay the foundations for a spicy food culture in Catalan cuisine, a very interesting market niche that until now no one had addressed: "In Catalonia, perhaps not everyone, but a lot of people like spicy food. If you think about it, a good pair of glasses or a capipota (a Catalan stew) are part of our own identity that would identify us with this," explains Ferran Gispert.

The Sant Jordi dragon: hybrid varieties that are only grown in the Empordà region.

A key element in achieving this national connection with peppers is the cultivation of native varieties, created in Catalonia. That's why ¡Qué Pimientos! dedicates significant effort to hybridization to obtain crosses unique in the world: "Year after year we stabilize them and give them names, Catalan names, like the Sant Jordi Dragon, which is a combination of T-Rex Mustard and Dragon's Breath, with extreme spiciness. The idea is that they will eventually become..." jalapeños "And that, in the future, a gentleman from Wisconsin might be able to plant a Saint George's dragon in his garden," predicts Gispert.

Similarly, another way to link spiciness to local cuisine is through prepared products, always conceived from the perspective of traditional Catalan cooking. "Grandma's cooking: fire, embers, and simmering," describes Gispert. She adds, "We try to create a spiciness that identifies us, with its own image and flavors, without having to resort to Tabasco or something imported. For example, Espiadimonis is a sauce inspired by Asian tradition but adapted to the region, with hazelnuts from Empordà and ñora peppers."

All the products from ¡Qué Pimientos!, both fresh and prepared, can be used and transformed in many ways. Freshly harvested chilies can be eaten fresh and crunchy in a salad or sandwich, but they can also be dried, preserved in brine, candied, or made into oil. Sauces and oils are also very versatile and work really well for seasoning fish, meat, or vegetables, as well as pasta or toast. If used sparingly and with some trial and error, a touch of spice always adds something special.

The ¡Qué Pimientos! project began as a hobby, without the business vision it has ultimately achieved. In 2020, during the pandemic, Ferran Gispert and his father, who had a traditional vegetable garden for their own consumption, decided to plant some varieties of hot peppers to pass the time together and create an Instagram account. The profile was very successful, and they were quickly contacted by other people in the industry—growers and enthusiasts—who invited them to fairs and events. Initially, they began sending small shipments of 10 or 20 varieties to interested customers; then, people started asking to pick them up at the garden, and from there, the experiences at their facilities were born, designed for the whole family and with an educational component. Then, in 2024, they joined Garcia Puigderrajols to distribute their entire line of signature products.

Statement of responsibility and health benefits

Certainly, spicy food, especially the most extreme kind, isn't for everyone. But in the Parlavà garden, with such a wide selection, there are varieties to suit all tastes: milder chilies, with flavors like apple or celery, which work very well, for example, in a salad, and surprise visitors who come to taste them with reservations and caution. However, those seeking intense experiences will also find the highest scores on the Scoville scale, which measures the capsaicin content of peppers: "We always warn visitors, and everyone eventually finds their limit, but for the segment of the public that enjoys the most horrifying things you can put in your mouth, we have the most extreme spiciness on the planet. To try these devilish chilies, it's necessary to sign a liability waiver, although, as Gispert explains, there's no real medical danger beyond 'a good sweat and some trembling.'

Beyond these sometimes dramatic reactions, there are many studies and a whole tradition of folk wisdom that support the health benefits of spicy food: "We must remember that spiciness came from the Americas, and that it was already used for its health properties." "Spicy food becomes a superfood," argues Ferran Gispert. He concludes: "Spicy food, with its components, is a natural regulator of blood pressure, a metabolism booster, a stomach protector, and possesses anti-inflammatory properties."